Moonlight Sonata
by gigi2690
Summary: Yet another case in yet another nondescript motel. How does a piano sonata, some whiskey and a simple touch bring two profilers closer than ever before? Jemily. JJ/Emily. T for now, may be M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It was the fifth non-descript motel in the last three weeks. The sole light in the room came from a small side table by the window, stacked with manila folders. The blond at the table bore the clock no heed as it glared 3:07 in red digital letters. She hadn't planned on getting any sleep anyway. The case they were working on was particularly gruesome even for their typical fare, and they were caught in that frustrating position of waiting for another body before moving forward. The team was told to get some rest, and that there was nothing that could be done until they had more to work with. JJ had a feeling that few of them would be sleeping. It was one thing to fall asleep of exhaustion after tiring in pursuit of catching an unsub, but it was another thing entirely to go to sleep because of waiting. It's like trying to sleep on Christmas Eve, but only much darker.

At least JJ could busy herself with looking for their next case rather than sit and wallow in the dark details and what ifs to come. Technically picking the cases was now Garcia's job, but she had gotten the eccentric techie to hand over some potentials as they were pouring in quicker than even her fingers could type. While JJ didn't miss the pressure of picking the right case, or the guilt of letting a case slip through the cracks, she did miss the solitude of the work and the fact that her previous position allowed her more distance from the victims and unsubs. She seemed to be living in other peoples' heads more than her own as of late.

Her thoughts turned towards her darling boy, Henry, and her less than stable relationship with Will. Going from Media Liaison to profiler had afforded her one critical realization on a personal front. She was in a loveless marriage. It was a horrible thought that still made her wince, but this didn't make it any less true. Worse still, she had feelings for another. The guilt of this was no lessened by the acute awareness that she had liked this other person longer than she had even known Will.

A sudden noise derailed her thoughts. Looking down at the table, JJ saw that she had carved out a small chunk of the wood out of the surface with her fingernails. 4:10. It was as good of a time as any for a break.

After grabbing her room key she took a look in the floor length mirror on the opposing wall. Her blond hair was up in a haphazard ponytail with a few tendrils falling into her heavily ringed eyes. Her make up had been removed and she was dressed in sweatpants from Penn State and a white tank top. She decided to forgo the gun and shoes as her intentions were to strictly wander the halls, gain some air, perhaps clarity.

This idea was wiped from her head the moment she stepped out of the door. She could now hear what had distracted her earlier. There was music coming from the lobby downstairs, a piano to be exact. JJ vaguely remembered seeing an old standup piano when checking in the night before. Her curiosity piqued at whom would be playing at 4 in the morning.

The faded red carpet masked her footsteps as she made her way towards the music. Whoever was playing was quite good. JJ had never cared for classical music until college when it became the only thing she could study to. Whoever was playing was apparently a fan of Beethoven. When she got to the entrance to the lobby, the beginning notes to the Moonlight Sonata were filling the air. It had always been a favourite; there was a certain beautiful melancholy that seemed even more fitting given the dark paths her mind had been traveling. She couldn't help but smile when the piano player came into view. It figured that the object of her recent thoughts, of so many of her thoughts, would be up so late playing one of her favourite songs an abandoned motel lobby. She wasn't sure if life loved her, or hated her.

Brown locks blocked most of her face, but there was no denying the posture, or slender fingers that slid back and forth across the keys. Emily. JJ enjoyed the chance to observe unnoticed. It wasn't a privilege she got often. Emily Prentiss was as remarkable as she was remarkably closed off. JJ always cherished the pieces that she'd collected; pieces that either slipped past Emily's compartmentalization, or were let out. Resting on the piano top was a small tumbler glass filled with, judging by the deep amber colour, probably whiskey. Emily and whiskey; it was fitting. JJ's smile grew as she watched the brunette pause to take a drink.

"You play beautifully." Emily's shoulder's tensed slightly but showed no other outward sign of surprise. After a moment, the brunette turned and gave JJ a sheepish smile,

"Thanks, what are you doing up Jayj?" A small tingle ran down her spine at the husk in Emily's voice, perhaps deepened by the alcohol, perhaps out of lack of use. Ignoring the question JJ stepped a little closer to the sitting woman,

"You never told me you could play." Emily opened her mouth and closed it a few times; JJ had a feeling Emily was deciding whether or not to share something. There was this particular way her eyebrows furrowed when she was caught in the personal realm and unsure how to proceed. JJ usually tried not to push when she saw this, but tonight felt different,

"How long have you played the piano?" This question seemed a bit easier to answer; Emily turned so she was completely facing JJ,

"My mother set me up with lessons when I was seven. It seemed like a proper thing for me to be skilled in. I played from then until twenty-two; I only picked it up again recently..." Emily seemed to drift off at this point, as if her own memories had grabbed hold and pulled her away from the blond. In an attempt to bring her back, JJ came closer and put her hand on Emily's shoulder.

Her hand seemed to burn where it touched skin. Emily wore a tank top similar to JJ's own. She almost retracted the hand until she heard a soft sigh emanate from the older woman. She seemed to relax slightly. When their eyes locked, JJ was struck by how much was lay behind her eyes, and by how badly she wanted to know inside every last crevice of this woman.

"It's a long story." Emily was stalling now. JJ smirked,

"I like long stories." After a moment, Emily returned the smile,

"In that case I need a fresh drink, and you need one too."


	2. Chapter 2

JJ had never been much of a fan of whiskey, usually preferring tequila or vodka when it came to straight liqueur, but she felt just a bit closer to the mysterious brunette sharing the same drink-the same burn in her throat. They were now both sitting on the piano bench. JJ was intently watching Emily's profile as the older woman lightly caressed the keys, not pushing hard enough to make a sound. JJ started slightly when Emily began speaking, still looking at the rows of black and white,

"We never talked about it. We played scrabble and shared emails, but we never talked about the present. We ignored the mess, the darkness, the loneliness, the guilt. We talked about music, movies, memories, etc... not what was happening in our lives. And as profilers we can easily tell why," she paused both in speech and in her traversing of the keys. She seemed to be rolling the next words over and over in her mouth, deciding whether to let them out,

"We didn't know how to deal with it. The fact that I was officially dead, to the world and to almost everyone that mattered to me. Only you and Hotch bore the truth. And it was obvious that you were not bearing the secret well. I bet leaving made the guilt easier, which of course would spurn a new type of guilt." The brunette's eyes darted quickly up to meet JJ's own, looking for something in their azure depths. Before JJ could gather what it was she was seeking, she continued on,

"I'd lost everything. Everyone. I was back to looking over my shoulder and distrusting every shadow. It was exhausting. You left me in Paris; I went to a town in the south, Roanne. I worked in a boulangerie," she paused, as she must have noticed JJ's slightly confused expression, "I made bread. The boulangerie was only a few blocks from the neighborhood where I was renting a house. It was slow. Nice. I'd wake up, have some tea, yogurt and fruit."

For the first time since they sat down, JJ spoke or rather scoffed,"Tea?" Emily shrugged and gave one of those crooked self-deprecating smiles JJ had grown to love, "I gave up coffee."

"Really? You?"

She stuck out her tongue, "As I was saying, slow. I could walk to and from work. I only needed to use my little diesel car to go to _Carrefour or to do something downtown. I kind of had a life for the first time in awhile." Pausing, her smile turned slightly bitter as she took a drink, _

_"Funny that I had to die in order to finally get a life. I even tried dating a little, but every time they said a name other than my own I felt like I was on a mission and they were a mark... no longer on a date and definitely no longer in the mood. Instead I ended up spending a lot of time with the old woman that owned the _boulangerie. She was a fascinating woman." JJ fought the churning in her stomach, and tried to ignore her inkling that it was jealousy. Will had women hitting on him all the time, but it took Emily finding another woman fascinating to spur that little green-eyed monster inside.

"She had lived all over the world. Born in Brazil she ran away from her abusive father when she was 14. She was working as a waitress in Cancun, when she fell in love with a Frenchman on vacation. He ended up staying for 11 months longer than his two-week plans in order to court her. She married him and they moved to _Saint__-__Étienne. Her husband was a socialist peace advocate that traveled around the world trying to defend injustices. She's why I took up the piano again." _

_"How..." _

_"Hush and take a drink. You haven't touched it. I'm getting to that." Properly scolded, JJ raised the glass to her lips and relished the fire that descended down her throat. The fire became too much and she found herself, to her utter embarrassment, in a coughing fit. That is, until the brunette at her side decided that the proper course of action was to rub soothing circles up and down her back. The burn was replaced with a shiver as slender, agile fingers brushed blond locks away from the nape of her neck, smoothing them down her shoulder blades. _

_Emily's smile was something to behold. This smile was light, playful, the kind of thing she'd dream of waking up to. "I had a feeling you weren't the whiskey type." Now it was JJ's turn to shrug, caught. Emily's smile merely widened as she continued her story, to JJ's delight without removing her hand that now played with the little hairs on the nape of her neck._

_"Anyway, She had a piano by the counters. One night over too much wine I let slip that I played growing up. She insisted I play. After I was assured that I remembered enough not to make a complete fool of myself, I began playing during open hours. I'd play the piano for a couple hours a day. I do believe the music drew in a number of people that hadn't previously intended on purchasing bread."_

_"I'm not..." Emily's fingernails scratched down ever so lightly, "surprised." If she noticed the hesitation, she didn't let on, "would you like me to play you something? As I see neither of us are ready for bed." JJ simply nodded not trusting her voice._

_"What would you like to hear?" The warm fingers receded, and JJ's mind cleared,_

_"You were already playing my favourite." Emily bumped shoulders with her,_

_"Moonlight Sonata? Well than I shall play it again with you in mind." JJ took another swig of whiskey,_

_"I'd like that."_


End file.
